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The risk of torrential downpours, hail and lightning are also possible.

Early mist and fog will clear to sunny spells over the next few days.

It should become drier over the weekend, with more in the way of sunshine developing.

Britain is wedged between high pressure to the north-west, another blocking system near Scandinavia, and a deep low above the continent.

This combination prevents any changeable weather from the Atlantic piling into the UK and keeps conditions generally settled.

Warm and humid air will be centred over the UK for several days, pulling in brighter weather to the north-west but more volatile stormy conditions further south.

The warm air contains lots of moisture and when this is heated by the sun, it causes the downpours.

While some places will escape the worst of the rain, or even manage to stay largely dry, some of the showers will be heavy and up to 1.2ins (30mm) could fall in an hour or less and 1.6ins-2ins (40mm-50mm) could fall in a couple of hours.

However, come the weekend, high pressure will begin to exert more control with brighter conditions possibly extending across much of the country.

There will still be the prospect of thundery showers, especially in the south, and it will remain less warm in the east.

But the rest of the country should stay dry with long bright spells.

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A spokesperson for The Weather Channel said: "A weak pressure pattern will result in a showery outlook for central and southern Britain with thunderstorms but there will be some good spells of sunshine between the showers.

"The best of the sunshine and dry weather will be across the north. It should be generally fine into the early part of June, but there is a chance that cooler conditions could arrive by the middle of the month."

It should be generally fine into the early part of June, but there is a chance that cooler conditions could arrive by the middle of the month.